---
The pursuit followed a familiar path, echoing the events of the original timeline. Yet, subtle shifts altered the flow, creating a ripple of unpredictable outcomes. Naruto, Shikamaru, and their teammates clashed with the Sound Four as each enemy stayed behind to delay them, splintering into new, hastily assembled teams. The final outcome hung entirely on strategy.
But for Menma, the result of the mission was inconsequential. He had little interest in Sasuke's retrieval, just as he had no inclination to meet Tsunade alongside Orochimaru. His goals were his own, untouched by the fate of others.
In truth, Menma understood that taking part in the primary "plot" was neither wise nor necessary. Jiraiya would find Tsunade eventually, and Menma saw no advantage in intervening. He'd learned that moving forward wasn't always the way to gain power. Sometimes, letting others come to him was far more effective.
The brief vulnerability he had felt in the Land of Waves had passed, replaced by a hardened sense of realism. His alliance with Orochimaru's Sound Four was a matter of convenience, not loyalty or ambition. Menma had every intention of honoring their arrangement—but only to the limit he'd set.
Arriving at the Valley of the End, a landmark infamous throughout the ninja world, he came to a halt. Here, near the vulnerable border of the Land of Fire, he would go no further. Beyond this point, risks lurked that even he wasn't foolish enough to court.
But his companion seemed less cautious.
"Menma-kun, why stop here?" a cold voice asked behind him.
Menma turned, meeting the steady gaze of Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan. With white hair, piercing green eyes, and the red mark on his forehead, Kimimaro was the last of his bloodline, carrying the fearsome Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) Kekkei Genkai.
Menma let out a quiet chuckle. "We're here to fulfill an agreement, Kimimaro. Going further would violate that."
The words didn't soften Kimimaro's expression. Even with his illness sapping his strength, the intensity in his eyes was undiminished. Despite his failing body, Kimimaro's spirit burned with loyalty to Orochimaru—a loyalty Menma could only respect from a distance.
Menma observed the Shikotsumyaku user with a mixture of pity and fascination. The Kaguya clan's bloodline was strong, almost a shadow of Kaguya Otsutsuki's All-Killing Ash Bones. But even the fiercest of the Kaguya clan had never truly unlocked its full potential. The clan's attack on Kirigakure had been brutal, yet insufficient to achieve lasting impact.
Kimimaro, however, was different. The perfect inheritor of his bloodline, he wielded power that elite Jonin struggled to match. In the original timeline, even Gaara and Rock Lee had been hard-pressed to counter him. But illness had betrayed Kimimaro's body, prompting Orochimaru to abandon him as a potential vessel.
Kimimaro had volunteered for this mission, driven by a desire to prove himself before the inevitable end. He refused to waste away in a bed—he would die for Orochimaru, not his illness.
"You…" Kimimaro's voice sharpened, sensing the apathy in Menma's tone. With a swift motion, he extended his palm, and a spike of bone erupted from his skin, its jade-white edge gleaming ominously. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Kimimaro," Menma spoke, his tone flat but unwavering, "I suggest you reconsider."
As his fox-like eyes narrowed, a sinister aura seeped from Menma, the chakra of the Nine-Tails flaring around him. The oppressive energy pressed against Kimimaro, halting him mid-attack. Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly as he registered the vast difference in their power. Even at his peak, challenging Menma would have been reckless.
Realizing the futility, Kimimaro's gaze softened—not in surrender, but with a calm understanding. Menma's raw strength rivaled that of Orochimaru himself. After a long, assessing look, Kimimaro retracted the bone spike and turned, wordlessly continuing on ahead. Menma watched his retreat, his expression unreadable.
"Such loyalty…" Menma murmured. Kimimaro's unwavering devotion to Orochimaru was a rare sight. And Orochimaru seemed to inspire it effortlessly, drawing countless followers willing to risk their lives without question.
'You're truly enviable, Orochimaru.'
If Orochimaru had been willing to limit his ambition, he could have been another Senju Tobirama—feared and respected, despite his darkness. Tobirama had created forbidden techniques, venturing into the realms of life and death without ever betraying Konoha. Tobirama was hailed as a hero, while Orochimaru was branded a traitor.
The distinction? Tobirama had known his boundaries. Orochimaru, on the other hand, pursued knowledge at any cost.
'In the end, paths like ours can never converge.'
Turning his gaze to the towering statues of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, Menma felt a strange kinship. These two, who had shaped the ninja world through their legendary clash, had ultimately walked separate paths despite their shared dream.
Leaping up to the top of Madara's head, Menma sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, waiting. He would not chase this encounter. This time, they would come to him.
---
Time passed slowly.
Menma sat in silence, waiting.
After more than an hour, two familiar chakra signatures approached from the east. Menma's eyes opened gradually, and he saw Tayuya emerging, carrying a large barrel. She looked relieved as she spotted him.
"Menma-sama," she greeted, inclining her head.
Though they weren't from a traditional ninja village, the shinobi of Otogakure had been instructed by Orochimaru and Kabuto to show Menma respect, much like they had with Sasuke. In Otogakure, respect came not from heritage, but from strength—and Orochimaru's command.
"Is Sasuke in there?" Menma asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes, Lord Menma," Tayuya replied, a note of urgency in her voice. "Please, leave the enemy to me. You need to get Lord Sasuke out of here. Lord Orochimaru's deadline is fast approaching."
She looked worn and tense; she'd already lost comrades as they fought off persistent pursuers, only saved earlier by Kimimaro's timely intervention. But their enemies were relentless—still closing in.
" Hurry and take Sasuke!" she urged in frustration.
Menma chuckled softly, unfazed. "No need to rush. Sasuke will emerge soon enough. Let's take care of the ones chasing us first."
Tayuya blinked, taken aback by his calm.
At that moment, the barrel began to tremble, releasing an ominous energy. The seal containing Sasuke cracked, sending waves of chakra into the air.
Boom!
Across the way, standing atop the statue of Hashirama Senju, Naruto and Shikamaru appeared, their eyes widening as they saw Sasuke's barrel burst open and Sasuke leapt out.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called, shocked. "Menma?!"
Both Naruto and Shikamaru stared, trying to process the sight of Menma and Sasuke together.
"I haven't seen you in a while, Sasuke. You look like you're doing well," Menma remarked, his gaze shifting briefly to Naruto and Shikamaru before settling on Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at him coolly, ignoring Naruto's presence. "Menma. Were you sent by Orochimaru to retrieve me?"
Menma's lips curled into a faint smile. "Sent? You've got it wrong. Orochimaru and I are partners, not master and servant. I'm only here to assist. Whether you make it out depends on your own strength."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes but didn't reply. He understood. Their fates were in their own hands now.
Despite his casual tone, Menma was watching Sasuke closely. Sasuke was crucial to Menma's plans. With the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, he was too valuable to lose. Menma needed Sasuke on his side, just as he had been in the original timeline—a shinobi with immense potential but susceptible to manipulation.
But Menma wouldn't risk himself to make that happen. If he couldn't protect his own life, how could he secure anyone else's?
"I see," Sasuke muttered, glancing across to Naruto, who stood tensely on the opposing statue.
"Naruto is your brother, isn't he?" Sasuke asked, his voice carrying a note of cold curiosity. "Are you really willing to turn against him?"
Menma's smirk widened. "If I have to, why not? We've chosen different paths. Isn't that true for you as well, Sasuke?"
Sasuke's gaze darkened, and he nodded. "You're right."
"Then let's end this pointless game," he replied, a chill in his voice.
In the next instant, Sasuke's Sharingan activated, the tomoe spinning as he prepared for battle.
"Sasuke! Menma! This is all a misunderstanding, right?" Naruto's voice echoed across the valley. "I already spoke with Granny Tsunade and Jiraiya! If you come back, everything will be forgiven! We can go back to how things were!"
Naruto's words were laced with hope. But Menma and Sasuke remained unmoved, their expressions cold and unyielding.
Naruto's heart sank as he looked at the two figures before him—brothers he thought he knew, yet who seemed utterly changed. But he clung to the hope that Orochimaru's influence was behind their shift. If they could just talk, maybe everything could return to how it had been.
"Go back?" Menma scoffed, his tone sharp with disdain. "You're as naive as ever, Naruto. That village you cherish so much? It's corrupt, through and through. And 'return'? Look around you."
Naruto and Shikamaru's eyes flicked to the surrounding area.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A team of six ANBU operatives appeared, their black uniforms and masks concealing their expressions.
"Uzumaki Menma and Uchiha Sasuke," the leader, wearing a cat mask, announced with authority. "You are both classified as traitors to the Leaf Village. Surrender now. If you resist, we will respond with lethal force."
Their killing intent was palpable, and their chakra signatures were strong. The leader's aura indicated he was at least at the Jonin level.
Menma's eyes flashed with amusement. "You really think you can bring us back so easily?"
---